Chapter 61 Tony's Curiosity
The engine roar of the Audi R8 echoed through the streets of Manhattan.
Tony held the steering wheel with one hand while swiping in the air with the other.
Dense streams of data danced across the holographic projection screen inside the car.
"Jarvis, pull up all the video footage of that person from earlier."
"Retrieving now, sir."
Jarvis's voice came through the speakers.
"Facial recognition is complete. But there are no matching results in the public database."
Tony frowned.
"None?"
"Yes, sir."
"I have searched all networked identity databases globally, including passport records, driver's license files, social media, and even black market transaction records on the dark web."
"This person appeared out of thin air."
Tony stepped on the brakes.
The car stopped in front of a red light.
He stared at the profile photo of Lin Yi on the holographic screen.
"Appeared out of thin air?"
"That's illogical."
Jarvis fell silent for two seconds.
"Sir, I suggest you contact S.H.I.E.L.D.."
"Their database access privileges are higher than mine."
Tony scoffed.
"S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
"What can those agents do?"
"Aside from meddling everywhere, they can't do anything."
The traffic light turned green.
Tony stepped on the gas.
The car surged forward.
"Jarvis, pull up the exhibition hall's surveillance footage."
"I want to see his entire trajectory of movement from entering the hall to leaving."
The holographic screen switched.
The surveillance footage began to playback.
Lin Yi walked into the exhibition hall.
Without lingering, he walked straight towards the central display stand.
He stood in front of the arc reactor display stand for about three minutes.
During this time, his hands remained stuck in his pockets.
He didn't pull out any equipment.
Nor did he make any unnecessary movements.
He just stood there.
Tony stared at the footage, his eyes narrowing.
"Zoom in on his facial expressions."
The footage zoomed in.
The details of Lin Yi's face were clearly presented.
His eyes were slightly narrowed.
The light of the arc reactor was reflected in his pupils.
But there were no emotional fluctuations.
Extremely calm.
Tony fast-forwarded to the part of his holographic speech.
Lin Yi looked up at him.
The moment the two locked eyes, the image froze.
Tony stared into Lin Yi's eyes.
"Jarvis, analyze his physiological state at this moment."
"Heart rate, pupil changes, micro-expressions."
Jarvis brought up a physiological data analysis chart.
"Heart rate is stable at sixty-two beats per minute."
"No obvious pupil dilation or contraction."
"No abnormal fluctuations in facial muscles."
"Conclusion, he is very relaxed."
Tony leaned back in his seat.
"An ordinary person, after being locked onto by my sensors, should have their first reaction be nervousness, panic, or attempting to cover it up."
"Yet he did nothing."
"As if he had known he would be discovered all along."
Jarvis said, "Sir, are you saying he exposed himself on purpose?"
Tony nodded.
"Right."
"He is testing my reaction speed."
The car turned into the driveway of the Malibu ocean-view Villa.
The garage door opened automatically.
Tony parked the car, pushed the door open, and got out.
He walked into the underground laboratory.
The laboratory workbench was covered with various precision instruments.
Tony picked up the meteorite fragment and placed it under the scanner.
"Jarvis, full-spectrum scan."
"I want to know what is so special about this stone."
A blue scanning beam covered the surface of the fragment from top to bottom.
A string of data popped up on the holographic screen.
Tony stared at the data for a while.
His brows furrowed tighter and tighter.
"This isn't right."
Jarvis asked, "What isn't right, sir?"
Tony pointed at the screen.
"The internal structure of this meteorite is not naturally formed."
"Look at the trajectory of these energy circuits."
"They present an extremely regular geometric arrangement."
"This is a trace of artificial design."
Jarvis fell silent for two seconds.
"Sir, do you mean this meteorite is the creation of some civilization?"
Tony nodded.
"Right."
"And it's a civilization far exceeding Earth's technological level."
He picked up the fragment and observed it carefully against the light.
The dark gold surface shimmered with a faint halo.
Tony could feel that there was indeed some kind of energy he couldn't understand hidden within this stone.
"Jarvis, create a new file."
"Codename, Sorcerer Project."
"Record all information about that person from today."
"Including energy fluctuations, space portals, and this meteorite."
"I want to figure out what magic actually is."
A newly created folder popped up on the holographic screen.
The folder cover was the profile photo of Lin Yi.
Tony stared at that photo.
"This world is far more complex than I imagined."
Kamar-Taj.
Lin Yi just walked out of the portal, and Wong came up greeting him with a bowl of noodles.
"Where did you go?"
"Why did you run off to New York again?"
Lin Yi took the bowl of noodles.
"Met a friend."
Wong raised an eyebrow.
"Friend?"
"You still have friends on Earth?"
Lin Yi slurped a mouthful of noodles.
"Now I do."
Wong sat on the steps, holding his own bowl.
"What kind of person?"
Lin Yi thought for a moment.
"A scientist."
"Not a very good temper, but pretty smart."
Wong let out an "oh".
"You plan to teach him magic?"
Lin Yi nodded.
"Right."
Wong almost spat out his noodles.
"Are you crazy?"
"The Ancient One said that magic cannot be casually passed on to outsiders."
"Especially those who haven't been tested."
Lin Yi put down the bowl.
"I know."
"But this person is different."
"Sooner or later, he will come into contact with this world."
"Instead of letting him stumble around blindly, it's better for me to guide him in advance."
Wong stared at Lin Yi for quite a while.
"What are you plotting again?"
Lin Yi smiled.
"Not plotting anything."
"Just feel that this person might be useful in the future."
Wong sighed.
"Do whatever you want."
"Anyway, whatever you do, Ancient One won't care."
Lin Yi picked up the bowl and continued slurping noodles.
He was still thinking about Tony in his mind.
Regarding the palladium poisoning issue, according to the movie plot, it was solved by Nick Fury pulling out the materials left behind by Howard Stark.
But now, he could intervene in advance.
On one hand, save Tony's life.
On the other hand, take the opportunity to study the energy structure of the arc reactor.
If the energy of the arc reactor and the Tesseract could be linked, perhaps it could prepare him in advance for contacting the Space Stone.
"Killing two birds with one stone."
Lin Yi put down the bowl and wiped his mouth.
Wong looked at him.
"You're smiling like a fox that stole a chicken."
Lin Yi stood up.
"Leaving."
"I'm going to take a look at the vault."
Wong waved his hand.
"Go on, go on."
Malibu Villa, underground laboratory.
Tony had been working continuously for six hours.
The laboratory workbench was covered with various testing instruments.
The meteorite fragment was fixed in a transparent container.
Around the container, it was covered with sensor probes.
Tony stared at the constantly jumping data on the holographic screen.
"Jarvis, increase the energy input."
"I want to see where the bearing limit of this stone is."
Chapter 62 Tony Wants to Learn magic
High-energy laser beams irradiated the surface of the meteorite.
The temperature soared to three thousand degrees Celsius.
A faint golden halo appeared on the surface of the fragment.
But there were no signs of melting.
Tony's eyes lit up.
"Interesting."
"Increase the power further."
The laser power was increased to eighty percent.
The temperature broke through five thousand degrees.
The halo on the surface of the meteorite grew brighter and brighter.
Suddenly, an invisible energy fluctuation burst out from the fragment.
All the instruments on the laboratory workbench short-circuited.
The holographic screen went black.
The entire laboratory fell into pitch blackness.
Tony stood frozen in place.
Three seconds later, the backup power supply activated.
The lights turned on again.
Jarvis's voice sounded.
"Sir, unknown energy fluctuations detected."
"All instruments have been forcibly shut down."
Tony walked over to the container.
The meteorite fragment lay quietly inside.
The halo on the surface had disappeared.
As if nothing had happened.
Tony stared at it for a long time.
"This thing definitely has a problem."
He turned and walked toward the workbench.
He picked up his phone and pulled out Lin Yi's number.
After hesitating for a moment, he finally pressed the dial button.
The call went through.
"Hello."
Lin Yi's voice came from the earpiece.
Tony took a deep breath.
"When are you going to teach me that magic of yours?"
Lin Yi smiled.
"In such a rush?"
Tony looked at the meteorite piece on the laboratory workbench.
"Yes."
"I can't wait anymore."
"If you can't wait, come tomorrow."
"Send me the address."
Tony's voice sounded very excited.
"Don't."
Lin Yi raised his head and glanced at the courtyard of Kamar-Taj outside the window.
"Ordinary people can't find that place; I'll come pick you up."
"You wouldn't happen to live in a cave in the Himalayas, would you?"
Tony's tone carried a hint of mockery.
"Pretty much."
Lin Yi chuckled.
"See you at your doorstep tomorrow morning at ten."
He hung up the phone and tossed it onto the table.
...
The next morning, Malibu seaside Villa.
Tony stood at the doorway, wearing a casual suit.
He looked at the time on his watch; it was already ten-five.
"Jarvis, scan the surroundings for any abnormal energy fluctuations."
"Scanning, sir."
Jarvis's voice came from the watch.
"No abnormalities detected."
Tony frowned.
"He wouldn't stand me up, would he?"
As soon as he finished speaking, golden sparks suddenly appeared in the air.
The sparks spun and intertwined, forming a circular portal in front of Tony.
Opposite the portal was a courtyard paved with bluestone.
Lin Yi walked out of the portal with his hands in his pockets.
"Five minutes late, sorry about that."
Tony stared at the portal, his eyes filled with excitement.
"Can I scan it?"
He pulled out a palm-sized handheld scanner.
"Be my guest."
Lin Yi stepped aside half a step.
Tony raised the scanner and frantically scanned the portal.
A bunch of garbled code popped up on the instrument screen, and then it went completely black.
"Damn it."
Tony patted the instrument.
"Fried again."
Lin Yi smiled.
"I said before, this isn't something your physics can explain."
"Let's go, we'll talk inside."
Tony put away the scanner and looked at the portal.
"Is this thing safe?"
"Will it teleport me to the middle of the Pacific Ocean?"
"If you don't want to go, I'll close the door right now."
Lin Yi made a motion to close the portal.
"Wait."
Tony took a deep breath and stepped inside.
The air on the other side of the portal carried a faint scent of sandalwood.
Tony stood in the courtyard of Kamar-Taj, looking around.
Bluestone slab paths, wooden corridors, and rolling snow-capped mountains in the distance.
"Is this... Nepal?"
Tony turned around.
Lin Yi walked out of the portal, and the portal closed immediately afterwards.
"Yes, deep in the Himalayas."
"Welcome to Kamar-Taj."
Tony stared at the wooden building.
"This place looks like it has a history of at least several hundred years."
"Pretty much."
Lin Yi walked forward.
"Keep up, don't wander around."
Tony took a few quick steps to catch up with Lin Yi.
"How many people are here?"
"Several hundred."
"Are they all magicians?"
"Most of them are."
Lin Yi pushed open a wooden door.
"There are also some ordinary handymen."
Behind the door was a long corridor.
Various ancient tapestries and weapons hung on both sides of the corridor.
Tony walked behind, his eyes darting around.
"These weapons look quite old."
"Don't touch."
Lin Yi didn't look back, "Some things carry curses."
Tony's hand hung in mid-air, then pulled back.
"A curse?"
"Does this kind of thing really exist?"
"What do you think?"
Lin Yi stopped and turned around.
"magic already exists, why can't curses exist?"
Tony was silent for two seconds.
"Makes sense."
They walked through the corridor and came to a spacious training ground.
On the training ground, a dozen or so apprentices wearing yellow robes were practicing drawing portals.
Tony watched those golden sparks jumping in the air, his eyes staring straight.
"This is your magic?"
"Spatial teleportation?"
"This is just the most basic."
Lin Yi walked to the edge of the training ground.
"Real magic is much more complicated than this."
Wong walked over from the other side.
When he saw Tony, he froze completely.
"You..."
Wong pointed at Tony, "Tony Stark?"
Tony raised an eyebrow.
"You know me?"
"Of course I know you."
"Iron Man, the whole world knows you."
He turned his head to look at Lin Yi.
"Are you trying to mix the magic world and the tech worldall together?"
Lin Yi smiled.
"Is there a problem?"
Wong sighed.
"No problem."
"Anyway, I'm used to whatever you do."
He picked up his bowl and continued eating noodles.
"Right, The Ancient One is waiting for you in the quiet room."
"She said after Tony arrives, bring him straight over."
Lin Yi nodded.
"Let's go."
He led Tony across the training ground toward a standalone small building.
The door of the small building was tightly shut.
Lin Yi knocked on the door three times.
"Come in."
Ancient One's voice came from inside.
Lin Yi pushed open the door.
The room was filled with a rich scent of sandalwood.
Ancient One sat in front of a low table, holding a teacup in her hand.
She raised her head, her gaze falling on Tony.
"Tony Stark."
Ancient One put down the teacup.
"I know you."
Tony walked into the room.
"Hello."
"You're the Sorcerer Supreme Lin Yi mentioned?"
Ancient One nodded.
"Yes."
"Lin Yi said you want to learn magic."
Tony sat opposite Ancient One.
"Yes."
"I want to know what magic really is."
Ancient One looked at him.
"magic is borrowing energy from other dimensions and transforming it into power in reality through willpower and runes."
"Sounds like some kind of energy conversion technology."
Tony crossed his hands and placed them on his knees.
"If that's the case, then I should be able to understand it."
Ancient One smiled.
"You can understand it that way."
"But magic is not just technology."
"It requires talent, meditation, and emptying oneself."
Chapter 63: Visitor to Kamar-Taj
Tony frowned.
"Clear your mind?"
"What do you mean?"
"It means you need to learn to control your emotions and thoughts."
Ancient One poured a cup of tea and pushed it in front of Tony.
"The power of magic comes from the purity of the mind."
"If your mind is full of distractions, magic will go out of control."
Tony picked up the tea cup and took a sip.
"My IQ is 187, and I learn everything faster than others."
"This shouldn't be difficult."
Lin Yi chuckled nearby.
Ancient One glanced at him and then turned to Tony.
"Then let's do a test first."
"To see how your magic talent is."
Tony put down the tea cup.
"How to test it?"
Ancient One stood up and walked to the center of the room.
She extended her hand, and a ball of golden light emerged in her palm.
The light rotated in her hand, forming a complex rune array.
"Put your hand on it."
Ancient One motioned to Tony.
Tony stood up and walked over.
He extended his right hand and pressed it on that ball of light.
The golden light spread along his arm, covering his entire body.
Tony felt a warm current flowing through his body.
That feeling was very wonderful, like countless tiny currents wandering under the skin.
After a few seconds, the light dissipated.
Ancient One withdrew her hand.
"How is it?"
Tony asked.
Ancient One was silent for two seconds.
"Your magic aptitude belongs to the lower-middle level."
Tony froze.
"Lower-middle?"
"Are you sure?"
Ancient One nodded.
"Sure."
"Your mental strength is strong enough, but your heart is too chaotic."
"magic requires a pure will, and your will is distracted by too many things."
Tony stood in place, his expression a bit grim.
This was the first time he heard someone say he had "poor aptitude".
Since childhood, whether in science, engineering, or business, he was always the top one.
But in magic, he turned out to be only at a lower-middle level.
Lin Yi walked over and patted Tony on the shoulder.
"Don't be discouraged."
"magic is not the only path."
Tony raised his head and looked at Lin Yi.
"What do you mean?"
Lin Yi smiled.
"You don't need to become a top mage."
"You can research the intersection of magic and technology."
"Use technological equipment to assist magic, or use magicprinciples to improve technology."
"This is a brand new path."
Tony's eyes lit up again.
"The combination of magic and technology?"
"Yes."
Lin Yi nodded.
"What you are good at is technology, so treat magic as a new energy source to study."
"You don't need to cast magic yourself, you only need to understand the principles of magic."
Tony straightened his body.
"This train of thought... interesting."
He turned to Ancient One.
"Can I borrow your materials?"
"The ones about the principles of magic."
Ancient One glanced at Lin Yi.
Lin Yi nodded.
"You can," Ancient One said, "but you cannot touch certain taboo knowledge."
Tony smiled.
"Rest assured, I just want to study energy conversion."
"I won't mess with any Black Magic."
Ancient One did not speak, just looked at him.
Tony felt an invisible warning.
"I understand."
Tony said.
Ancient One then withdrew her gaze.
"Lin Yi will take you to the Library."
"There are the materials you need there."
Lin Yi walked to the door.
"Let's go."
Tony followed.
They walked out of the small building, and Wang was still standing at the edge of the training ground.
Seeing them come out, Wang walked over.
"How is it?"
"Did you pass the test?"
Tony shook his head.
"Lower-middle aptitude."
Wang froze for a moment, then chuckled.
"Tony Stark actually has things he is not good at."
"That's really something new."
Tony glared at him.
"What are you laughing at."
"Although I don't know magic, I can study magic."
Wang shrugged.
"Suit yourself."
He turned to Lin Yi.
"Are you really going to show him the materials in the Library?"
Lin Yi nodded.
"Yes."
"But only basic theories, those dangerous forbidden arts cannot be touched."
Wang sighed.
"All right."
"Do as you see fit."
He walked away carrying a bowl.
Lin Yi led Tony across the training ground and walked toward the Library.
Two guards stood at the door, and immediately saluted when they saw Lin Yi.
"Mage Lin Yi."
Lin Yi nodded and pushed open the door.
The light in the Library was dim, and the air was filled with the smell of old paper.
Rows of towering bookshelves extended from the floor to the ceiling.
Tony stood at the door, looking at the dense books.
"How many books are there here?"
"Several thousand, I suppose."
Lin Yi walked forward.
"Covering all fields of magic."
"From basic meditation to advanced runes, everything is available."
Tony followed.
"Can I read all of them?"
"No."
Lin Yi stopped and turned around.
"You can only stay on the first floor."
Tony frowned.
"Why?"
"Because some knowledge is not something you can bear."
Lin Yi stared at him.
"magic is not science, it has a price."
"Some forbidden arts will contaminate you just by looking at them."
Tony was silent.
"All right."
"Then I will start from the first floor."
Lin Yi nodded.
"This way."
He led Tony to a row of bookshelves.
The bookshelves were filled with parchment rolls and thick classics.
"These are basic theories."
Lin Yi pointed at the bookshelf.
"From the essence of dimensional energy to the construction method of runes, everything is here."
"You can read them as you like, but you cannot take them out."
Tony picked up a parchment roll and opened the first page.
It was covered with Ancient Sanskrit.
"This is... Sanskrit?"
"Yes."
Lin Yi nodded.
"Most magic records are written in Ancient Sanskrit."
"You need to learn this first."
Tony closed the parchment roll.
"Learn a new language?"
"How long will this take?"
"With your IQ, about a month."
Lin Yi smiled.
Tony stared at the parchment roll.
"A month..."
"Fine, I accept the challenge."
He picked up the parchment roll, walked to the nearby table and sat down.
Lin Yi looked at him and shook his head.
"Read slowly." He turned and walked toward the door.
Without raising his head, Tony said: "Wait."
Lin Yi stopped: "What is it?"
Tony raised his head.
"That piece of meteorite, when are you coming to get it?"
"I have already done a preliminary analysis."
Lin Yi walked back.
"Oh? Is there a result?"
Tony nodded.
"Yes."
"But more samples are needed."
"That fragment is too small, many tests cannot be done."
Lin Yi thought for a moment.
"I will take care of the samples."
"You organize the analysis report first."
Tony smiled.
"Deal."
Lin Yi turned and left.
Only Tony was left in the Library.
He opened the parchment roll and stared at those Ancient Sanskrit characters.
His fingers brushed lightly across the paper.
"The combination of magic and technology..."
Tony muttered to himself.
"If it succeeds, what will it look like?"
His eyes were full of excitement.
Chapter 64: Ancient One's Concerns
Three days later, Kamar-Taj training ground.
Tony sat on a wooden bench, holding a thick Sanskrit grammar book in his hand.
He had been here for three days.
Every day, apart from eating and sleeping, he immersed himself in the Library to chew on those ancient Sanskrit materials.
Wong walked over with a bowl of noodles and sat down next to him.
"How is it?"
"Did you understand it?"
Tony didn't even raise his head.
"I understood a part of it."
"The grammatical structure of these Sanskrit texts is very complex."
"It's harder than I imagined."
Wong slurped a mouthful of noodles.
"You are already very fast."
"For ordinary people to learn Sanskrit, it takes at least half a year to get started."
Tony closed the book.
"Half a year is too long."
"I need to speed up."
He stood up and stretched.
"Where is Lin Yi?"
"The quiet room."
Wong pointed to the small building in the distance.
"He is discussing matters with The Ancient One."
Tony nodded.
"Then I will go back to the Library to continue reading."
Three hours later, Lin Yi came to the Library, and Tony put down his pen.
He moved his fingers and looked at the stack of notes on the table.
"Enough."
"These materials are enough for me to study for a while."
He stood up and walked in front of Lin Yi.
"I've already compiled the analysis report for that meteorite."
"When are you coming to get it?"
Lin Yi pulled a book off the bookshelf.
"Right now is fine."
"A portal will send you back."
Tony nodded.
"Alright."
They walked out of the Library and came into the courtyard.
Lin Yi reached out his hand, and golden sparks danced at his fingertips.
The sparks spun and intertwined, forming a circular portal.
Opposite the portal was the living room of the Malibu Villa.
Tony looked at the portal.
"This gadget is really convenient."
"It would be great if it could be mass-produced."
Lin Yi smiled.
"Let's talk after you figure it out."
Tony walked into the portal.
Lin Yi followed him in.
The portal closed behind them.
Malibu Villa, underground laboratory.
Tony walked over to the experimental workbench and picked up a thick folder.
"This is the analysis report of that meteorite."
He handed the folder to Lin Yi.
Lin Yi opened the first page.
Above it was a high-definition photomicrograph.
The internal structure of the meteorite presented an extremely regular geometric arrangement.
"These energy circuits are artificially designed."
Tony pointed at the photo.
"Moreover, the technical level of the designer far exceeds the existing technology of Earth."
Lin Yi turned to the next page.
It was an energy fluctuation analysis chart.
"The energy contained inside this meteorite belongs to some unknown high-dimensional energy."
Tony continued speaking.
"I used all available instruments to scan it, but I still couldn't fully analyze its essence."
Lin Yi closed the folder.
"Well done."
Tony crossed his arms.
"So, can you give me more samples?"
Lin Yi thought for a moment.
"Sure."
"But not now."
"When I go to that place next time, I will bring more back."
Tony nodded.
"Alright."
"Then I'll wait for your news."
Lin Yi turned and walked toward the portal.
"By the way."
Tony suddenly spoke.
Lin Yi stopped.
"What is it?"
Tony walked over to the experimental workbench and picked up a palm-sized metal plate.
The metal plate was engraved with runes.
"This is a rune energy converter I tried to make based on the materials in your Library."
He handed the metal plate to Lin Yi.
"But I'm not sure if it's useful."
"Help me take a look."
Lin Yi took the metal plate.
The arrangement of the runes was a bit crude, but the logic was correct.
"You've only studied for three days, and you can already make this?"
Tony smiled.
"I said before, my IQ is 187."
Lin Yi returned the metal plate to him.
"Continue your research."
"This direction is correct."
Tony's eyes lit up.
"Really?"
Lin Yi nodded.
"Really."
"But the precision of the runes still needs to be improved."
"Errors in these details will greatly reduce the efficiency of energy conversion."
Tony held the metal plate and carefully looked at the runes on it.
"I understand."
"I will improve it."
Lin Yi walked into the portal.
"Take your time."
"No need to rush."
The portal closed.
Only Tony was left in the laboratory.
He stared at the metal plate, a smile curving the corners of his mouth.
"The combination of technology and magic..."
"This path will definitely work out."
Kamar-Taj, quiet room.
Lin Yi pushed open the door, and Ancient One was sitting by the window.
She held a teacup in her hand, her gaze falling on the snow-capped mountains in the distance.
"Did Tony leave?"
Ancient One didn't turn her head.
"He left."
Lin Yi closed the door, walked over, and sat down opposite Ancient One.
"He is very excited and has found a new research direction."
Ancient One put down the teacup.
"You changed the trajectory of his destiny."
"I know."
Ancient One turned around and looked at Lin Yi.
"Do you know what Tony Stark was like in the original timeline?"
Lin Yi didn't speak.
Ancient One continued speaking.
"He would take a purely technological route and wouldn't be exposed to magic so early."
"He would experience more failure and pain."
"And eventually become a true hero."
Lin Yi leaned against the back of the chair.
"And then?"
"Then sacrifice himself in some war?"
Ancient One fell silent.
Lin Yi looked at her.
"The established trajectory is not necessarily the best result."
"In the original timeline, many people would die, and many tragedies would happen."
"Since I have the ability, why not try to change it?"
Ancient One stared at Lin Yi.
"Because you don't know what consequences the change will bring."
"Time is a river, and any change will trigger a chain reaction."
"If you save one person, it might cause ten other people to die."
Lin Yi smiled.
"Then let them die."
Ancient One frowned.
"What are you talking about?"
Lin Yi stood up and walked to the window.
"I'm not a savior."
"As for the others..."
He turned around and looked at Ancient One.
"I can't care about so much."
Ancient One took a deep breath.
"Your way of thinking is very dangerous."
Lin Yi shrugged.
"So be it if it's dangerous."
"Anyway, I never intended to be any kind of hero."
Ancient One stood up and walked in front of Lin Yi.
"Lin Yi, you must understand."
"The power you possess now is already enough to influence the direction of the entire world."
"Every decision you make could lead to changes in the destinies of countless people."
Lin Yi looked into Ancient One's eyes.
"What about you?"
"You have seen the future countless times using the Time Stone."
"You know what should be done and what shouldn't be done."
"Yet you still borrowed the power of the Dark Dimension to extend your own life."
Ancient One's expression changed.
Lin Yi continued speaking.
"You are also changing the timeline."
"You are also doing what you think is right."
"Why can't I?"
Ancient One fell silent for a long while.
"I am different from you."
"What I shoulder is the safety of the entire Earth."
"And you..."
She paused for a moment.
"You are just living for yourself."
Lin Yi smiled.
"Yes, I am just living for yourself."
"Is there any problem with that?"
Ancient One turned and walked back to the window.
"You will regret it sooner or later."
Lin Yi didn't answer.
The room fell into a long silence.
Ancient One picked up the teacup and took a sip.
"Tony Stark's change is just the beginning."
"What else do you plan to change next?"
Lin Yi didn't answer Ancient One's question.
He turned and walked toward the door, pushing open the wooden door, and the sandalwood scent was blown away by the mountain breeze.
Ancient One stood by the window, watching Lin Yi's figure disappear at the end of the corridor.
Chapter 65: S.H.I.E.L.D.'s New Movements
Washington, D.C., the Triskelion.
11:30 PM.
Sublevel 7, Deep Space Monitoring Center.
A massive display screen occupied the entire wall, covered in dense streams of data.
Over a dozen technicians sat in front of their consoles, staring at their respective screens.
Suddenly, an alarm blared.
On the main screen, a glaring red dot began to flash.
"Officer!"
A female technician stood up abruptly, her voice trembling.
"The Tesseract's energy fluctuations are abnormal!"
The supervisor on duty walked over quickly.
"What's the situation?"
The female technician pulled up the detailed data.
"The frequency of the energy fluctuations has increased three hundred times over the past ten minutes!"
"And it's still climbing!"
The supervisor's expression changed.
"Notify the Director immediately!"
He grabbed the dedicated phone on the desk.
...
Five minutes later.
Nick Fury pushed open the doors of the monitoring center.
He wore a black leather coat, his single eye bloodshot.
"Status?"
Fury walked up to the main screen.
The female technician stood up, her fingers sliding rapidly across the screen.
"The Tesseract is activating on its own."
"We haven't conducted any activation experiments, but its internal energy is fluctuating violently."
A 3D model popped up on the screen.
Blue energy radiated outward from the center of the Tesseract, forming an expanding sphere.
Fury stared at the blue sphere.
"When is it expected to reach the critical point?"
The female technician pulled up another data sheet.
"At the current rate, seventy-two hours at most."
"Once it breaches the critical threshold, it will open a space portal on its own."
Fury placed his hand on the edge of the console.
"Leading where?"
The female technician shook her head.
"Unsure."
"But based on the frequency of the energy fluctuations, it's highly likely connecting to a coordinate in outer space."
Fury turned and walked toward the door.
"Assemble all core members. See you in the briefing room in fifteen minutes."
He had only taken two steps before he stopped.
"Recall Natasha and Barton as well."
"Also, pull up all research records regarding the Tesseract."
"I want to see who has had contact with it over the past three months."
The duty supervisor immediately began operating the console.
Fury pushed open the door and stepped into the elevator.
The moment the elevator doors closed, the words Lin Yihad spoken flashed through his mind.
"Don't try to analyze that Tesseract using instruments designed for studying aliens."
"Forcing power through it will only invite uninvited guests to Earth."
Fury closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Damn it."
He cursed under his breath.
...
The Triskelion, top-floor briefing room.
Seven people sat around the rectangular conference table.
Nick Fury sat at the head of the table, with Maria Hill on his left and Phil Coulson on his right.
Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton sat side-by-side on the opposite side.
In the other two seats were S.H.I.E.L.D.'s senior scientific advisors.
Fury pressed a button on the table.
A holographic projection screen lit up.
A 3D model of the Tesseract hovered in the center of the conference table.
"Everyone, the situation is very bad."
Fury stood up, pointing at the blue cube.
"The Tesseract is starting up on its own."
"According to monitoring data, it will open a space portal within seventy-two hours."
Hill pulled up a report.
"We've already investigated all personnel who have come into contact with the Tesseract over the past three months."
"No abnormal operation logs were found."
Coulson looked at the projection screen.
"In other words, it woke up on its own?"
Fury nodded.
"Yes."
"And it woke up very suddenly."
Natasha stared at the blue cube.
"If it opens a space portal, what will happen?"
Fury fell silent for two seconds.
"Something will come through from the other side."
A brief silence fell over the briefing room.
Barton leaned back in his chair.
"What kind of thing?"
Fury opened a second projection window.
A brand-new energy fluctuation graph popped up.
"Just ten minutes ago, we captured another anomalous signal."
"A high-energy signature has appeared in a region of space about thirty thousand kilometers from Earth."
"Its energy fluctuation frequency is highly similar to that of the Tesseract."
Hill switched the screen.
On the radar screen, a golden point of light was slowly moving.
"What is this?"
Coulson asked.
Fury shook his head.
"I don't know."
"But it is approaching Earth."
Natasha stood up and walked over to the projection screen.
"Are you saying someone in space has another object similar to the Tesseract, and is preparing to resonate with the one on Earth?"
Fury looked at her.
"That's pretty much what it means."
Barton whistled.
"So we're getting hit from both ends now?"
"The Tesseract on Earth is going crazy, and there's an unidentified object approaching in space?"
Fury nodded.
"That's the situation."
He pressed the remote, and the screen switched to an encrypted file.
On the cover of the file were the words: Avengers.
"Everyone, we need to initiate this initiative."
Coulson looked at those words and frowned.
"The Avengers Initiative? Now?"
"Tony Stark is still in Malibu playing with his armor, and Steve Rogers has been awake from the ice for less than six months."
"Dr. Banner is hiding in India and refuses to return."
"This team hasn't even been put together yet."
Fury stared at the cover of the file.
"So we start putting it together now."
Hill pulled up a roster.
"According to the plan, there are six core members."
"Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye."
"But Thor is currently in Asgard, and we can't get in touch with him."
Fury waved his hand.
"Put Thor's matter aside for now."
"We have another option."
He opened the last folder.
A profile photo of Lin Yi appeared on the screen.
When Natasha saw the photo, her eyes flickered slightly.
"You want to bring him in?"
Fury nodded.
"Yes."
"He said that if we encounter trouble we can't handle, he might consider helping."
Barton stared at the photo.
"Who is this guy?"
Natasha gave a brief introduction.
"A mage."
"He can tear open space with his bare hands and physically withstand attacks on the level of nuclear weapons."
Barton was stunned.
"A mage?"
"Do those actually exist?"
Coulson pushed up his glasses.
"It seems the world is far more complex than we imagined."
Fury turned off the projection screen.
"Barton, you go contact Tony Stark."
"Coulson, you go bring Steve Rogers in."
"Natasha, you make a trip to India and bring Dr. Bannerback."
He paused for a moment.
"As for Lin Yi."
"I'll go invite him myself."
Chapter 66 Fury's Conditions
The next morning.
The wooden door of the meditation room in Kamar-Taj was gently pushed open.
Lin Yi walked in, and the Ancient One sat before the low table by the window.
She held the eye of agamotto in her hand, and green light rotated in her palm.
"Sit."
The Ancient One's voice was very calm.
Lin Yi pulled out a chair and sat down, glancing at the glowing pendant.
"Are you exploring the future?"
The Ancient One nodded.
"Yes, and it is the very near future."
She raised her hand, and the green light of the eye of agamotto unfolded a picture in the air.
On the streets of Manhattan, New York, a huge black tear ripped open in the sky.
Hundreds of aircraft poured out of the tear, followed by a mechanical behemoth from behind.
Buildings collapsed, and flames soared into the sky.
Lin Yi stared at the image.
"The Battle of New York."
The Ancient One put away the light screen, and the green light of the eye of agamotto extinguished.
"You know about this war."
The Ancient One looked at him.
"Of course I do."
Lin Yi leaned back against the chair back.
"An alien army invades Earth, S.H.I.E.L.D. builds a superhero team to counterattack, and finally solves the problem with a nuclear bomb."
The Ancient One was silent for two seconds.
"Since you know, I will be direct."
She stood up and walked to the window.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. will contact you in the next few days and ask you to join the war."
Lin Yi raised an eyebrow.
"You want me to go?"
The Ancient One turned around.
"I hope you assist them in a personal capacity, rather than representing Kamar-Taj."
Lin Yi smiled.
"Is there a difference?"
The Ancient One stared at him.
"Yes."
"Kamar-Taj does not interfere in secular wars, this is a rule for hundreds of years."
"But you are different, your identity is special, and you have your own right to choose."
Lin Yi picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip.
"To put it bluntly, you want me to go, but you don't want the name of Kamar-Taj to appear in that war."
The Ancient One did not deny it.
"Yes."
Lin Yi put down the teacup.
"But why should I go?"
The Ancient One walked back to the table and sat down.
"First, that war is related to the survival of Earth."
"If New York falls, the alien army will use Earth as a springboard to invade more regions."
"Second."
The Ancient One paused for a moment.
"The Mind Scepter will appear in the war..."
"I will go."
The Ancient One looked at him, the corners of her mouth rising in an extremely faint arc.
"Agreed so quickly?"
Lin Yi put his hands into his pockets.
"Where there are Infinity Stones, of course I have to go."
"As for protecting Earth and stuff, it's just by the way."
The Ancient One shook her head.
"You, you are always so direct."
Lin Yi smiled.
"What's the use of hypocrisy, it's a waste of time."
New York.
Lin Yi sat on the second floor of the Sanctum Sanctorum, holding a book in his hand.
The phone suddenly rang.
Lin Yi took out his phone, and an unfamiliar number was displayed on the screen.
He answered it.
"Hello."
"Lin Yi, I am Nick Fury."
Fury's low voice came from the other end of the phone.
"I need your help."
Lin Yi stood up and walked to the window.
"Speak, what is it."
Fury's side was silent for two seconds.
"Aliens are coming."
Lin Yi smiled.
"I know."
"So you are going to form that Avengers, right?"
The sound of a chair rubbing against the ground came from Fury's side.
"How do you know?"
Lin Yi looked at the street outside the window.
"I said, I know more than you think."
"You want to officially invite me to join now, right?"
Fury took a deep breath.
"Yes."
"We need you."
Lin Yi turned around and leaned against the window frame.
"Where is the location?"
"S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, I will send someone to pick you up."
Lin Yi waved his hand.
"No need, send me the coordinates, I will go by myself."
Fury's side was silent again.
"You can teleport directly to the Helicarrier?"
Lin Yi smiled.
"What's so difficult about this?"
"Just send the coordinates over."
On the deck of the Helicarrier, the wind was very strong.
Lin Yi walked out of the portal, and the golden sparks behind him dissipated immediately.
More than a dozen S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents surrounded him with guns drawn.
"Stop! Put your hands up!"
An Agent shouted.
Lin Yi had his hands in his pockets, looking at these people.
"Didn't your Director tell you I was coming?"
The Agents looked at each other in dismay.
"Put down your weapons."
Fury's voice came from the entrance of the deck.
He was wearing a black leather jacket and walked over in big strides.
The Agents put away their guns and retreated to the side.
Fury walked up to Lin Yi.
"Can't you just follow the normal procedure and come down from a helicopter?"
Lin Yi smiled.
"I am a magician, where else would I walk if not through a portal."
Fury turned around.
"Follow me."
Lin Yi followed him into the interior of the ship.
The corridor was very quiet, with only the low-frequency humming sound of machines running.
"Are everyone here?"
Lin Yi asked.
Fury nodded.
Lin Yi raised an eyebrow.
"You called everyone here."
Fury stopped and turned around.
"This is a hard battle."
"I need the strongest combat power on Earth."
Lin Yi looked at him.
"Including me?"
Fury nodded.
"Yes, including you."
Lin Yi smiled.
"Then I have a condition."
Fury frowned.
"What condition?"
Lin Yi walked forward two steps.
"After the war, let me play with the Mind Scepter for half an hour."
Fury's single eye narrowed.
"How do you know about the Mind Scepter?"
Lin Yi shrugged.
"I said, I know more than you think."
"Embedded at the top of that scepter is an Infinity Stone."
"You should know what Infinity Stones are."
Fury was silent.
"What do you want the Mind Scepter for?"
Fury stared at Lin Yi.
"Research."
"This thing is a very valuable research object for me."
Fury's fingers tapped lightly under his leather jacket.
"Half an hour."
"Cannot be taken away, it must be carried out under S.H.I.E.L.D.'s surveillance."
Lin Yi nodded.
"Deal."
Fury turned around and continued walking forward.
He pressed the button, and the door slid open.
Behind the door was a huge conference room.
Around the circular conference table, several people were already sitting.
Steve Rogers sat by the window, holding a document in his hand.
Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton sat side by side opposite.
Thor stood by the window, looking at the clouds outside the window.
Bruce Banner sat in the corner with his hands crossed on the table.
Tony Stark leaned against the back of the chair, spinning a pen in his hand.
Seeing Lin Yi walk in, Tony immediately sat straight.
"Hey, you finally came."
He stood up and walked over.
"I thought you were going to stand me up."
Lin Yi smiled.
"How is that possible."
"Such a big deal, of course I have to come."
Tony patted Lin Yi on the shoulder.
"Let's go, I'll introduce you to the others."
He pulled Lin Yi to the conference table.
"This is Steve Rogers, Captain America."
Steve stood up and extended his hand.
"Hello, I am Steve."
Lin Yi shook hands with him.
"Lin Yi."
Steve's handshake was very firm, but it didn't make people feel oppressed.
"Tony said you are a wizard?"
"Yes, a magician."
Steve smiled.
"This world is really becoming more and more incomprehensible."
Tony continued to introduce.
"This is Thor the God of Thunder, from Asgard."
Thor turned around and looked at Lin Yi.
"A wizard of Midgard."
Chapter 67: Disagreements in the Conference Room
He walked over.
"I've heard of you."
"Asgard knows your identity as the Guardian."
Lin Yi raised an eyebrow.
"Asgard pays quite a bit of attention to Earth."
Thor smiled.
"Midgard is one of the Nine Realms."
"Of course we pay attention."
Tony pointed at Banner in the corner.
"That is Doctor Banner."
"A biologist, physicist, and also has a big green alter ego."
Banner stood up and nodded gently.
"Hello."
Lin Yi nodded in response.
"Hello."
Finally, Tony pointed at Natasha and Barton.
"You should already know these two."
Natasha looked at Lin Yi, a smile curving the corner of her lips.
"We meet again."
Lin Yi smiled.
"We meet again."
Barton leaned back in his chair, arms crossed.
He didn't speak, just staring at Lin Yi.
Fury walked up to the conference table.
"Everyone, this is Lin Yi."
"A wizard of Kamar-Taj, and also one of the key combat forces for this operation."
Steve looked at Fury.
"Kamar-Taj?"
Fury nodded.
"An ancient magic organization."
"They have always been protecting Earth, just unbeknownst to others."
Thor added.
"It is recorded in Asgardian texts."
"The wizards of Kamar-Taj fight against dimensional invasions and protect Midgard from the erosion of dark forces."
Steve looked at Lin Yi.
"Sounds like you've done a lot."
Lin Yi sat down.
"Did some things, just not for fame."
Fury pressed the button on the table.
The holographic projection screen lit up.
The 3D model of the Tesseract hovered in the center of the conference table.
"Everyone, we are facing a serious problem right now."
Fury pointed at the blue cube.
"The Tesseract has been stolen by an alien named Loki."
"He is a prince of Asgard, and also a madman."
"Loki?" Thor's expression changed.
Fury looked at him.
Thor was silent for two seconds.
"He is my brother."
The conference room fell into a brief silence.
Tony broke the silence.
"So we have to deal with your brother now?"
"Wouldn't that be a bit awkward?"
Thor shook his head.
"Loki is no longer the person I knew."
"If he threatens Midgard, I will stop him with my own hands."
Fury switched the screen.
A surveillance video appeared on the projection screen.
Loki, holding a scepter, easily controlled a dozen S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents.
"The scepter in his hand can control human will."
Fury said.
Lin Yi looked at the scepter, narrowing his eyes slightly.
Fury switched a few more screens.
The surveillance video of Loki controlling the Agents played on a loop on the projection screen.
Barton stared at the scepter, his fingers tapping gently on the desktop.
"I have a question, and I don't mean anything by it!"
His gaze shifted from the screen to Lin Yi.
"We know too little about you, or about that Kamar-Taj."
Barton crossed his arms, leaning forward slightly.
"Wizard, that sounds like a fairy tale."
"And you popped out of nowhere."
"There is not even a Shadow of you in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s files."
The conference room was quiet for two seconds.
Natasha glanced at Barton and didn't speak.
Steve's gaze swept back and forth between the two.
"I understand Barton's concerns."
His tone was very calm.
"It's not that I don't trust you, Lin Yi."
"But what we are facing is a war."
"If teamwork goes wrong, many people will die."
Lin Yi leaned back in his chair, fingers crossed on the table.
"So what do you want to know?"
Barton looked at him.
"What can you do, and what can't you do?"
"If an emergency occurs on the battlefield, how will you react?"
Lin Yi smiled.
"I can tear open space, withstand nuclear weapon-level attacks, and seal dimensional rifts."
"There are very few things I can't do."
"However, as for unexpected situations, I will handle them according to the actual circumstances."
Barton shook his head.
"That's not an answer."
"What you said is too general."
Banner pushed up his glasses.
"I'm also a bit curious." His voice was very gentle, "What is the operating principle of magic?"
"What does it consume? Are there any side effects?"
Lin Yi looked at Banner.
"magic draws power from dimensional energy."
"What is consumed is the caster's mental power."
"As for side effects, as long as you borrow the power of dimensions, there will be a price."
Banner nodded.
"So you also have limits?"
Lin Yi shrugged.
"Theoretically, yes."
"But I haven't encountered it yet."
Barton stood up and walked to the window.
"You haven't encountered your limit because you haven't encountered a truly hard battle."
"Or is it because you are truly so strong that you have no limit?"
Tony suddenly slapped the table.
"Enough, Barton."
He stood up and walked over to Lin Yi's side.
"I trust him."
Barton turned around.
"Just because you trust him, can you guarantee that he won't have problems on the battlefield?"
Thor stood up and walked to the center of the conference table.
"Friends of Midgard, I can vouch for him."
Steve looked at Thor.
"Are you sure?"
Thor nodded.
"My father Odin acknowledges their status."
"Asgard and Kamar-Taj have cooperated before."
"Their combat power is no weaker than Asgard's elite warriors."
Barton looked at Lin Yi, then looked at Thor.
"Fine."
He walked back to his seat and sat down.
"I take back what I just said."
"But I still want to see what you can do."
Lin Yi stood up.
"Of course."
"What do you want to see me do?"
Fury was also a bit curious, pressing the button on the table.
"Follow me."
Everyone stood up and followed Fury out.
Natasha walked beside Lin Yi.
"Don't mind it." She lowered her voice, "Barton is just like that, he is used to doubting everyone."
Lin Yi smiled.
"I understand."
"On the battlefield, being cautious is right."
They walked into the elevator.
The elevator doors closed and began to descend.
Tony leaned against the elevator wall, spinning his phone in his hand.
"What are you going to show them?"
Lin Yi looked at the top of the elevator.
"Whatever they want to see, I will show."
Tony smiled.
"I like that confidence of yours."
The elevator stopped at the third underground floor.
The doors slid open.
At the end of the long corridor was a heavy metal door.
Fury walked in the front.
He pressed the combination lock beside the door, and the iris scanner lit up with a green light.
The metal door slowly opened.
Inside was a huge test chamber.
The walls, floor, and ceiling were all made of alloy material.
At the other end of the test chamber, a dozen energy cannons were lined up.
Fury walked up to the console.
"This is our high-energy weapon testing ground."
"The output power of each of those energy cannons can penetrate a meter-thick steel plate."
He looked at Lin Yi.
"What do you want to show?"
Lin Yi walked into the center of the test chamber.
"Bombard me with the highest energy level cannons."
Fury was slightly stunned.
"Are you sure?"
Lin Yi nodded.
"Sure, come on, fire at me."
Chapter 68: Loki's Arrival
Fury looked at the parameters on the console.
"The maximum energy level will produce destructive power equivalent to a small missile."
Lin Yi put his hands into his pockets.
"It's fine."
"Fire."
Fury took a deep breath.
"Everyone fall back to the observation room."
Steve, Barton, Natasha, Banner, Thor, and Tony all walked into the observation room next to the test chamber.
Transparent bulletproof glass separated the test area from the observation area.
Fury stood in front of the console, his fingers hovering above the activation button.
"One last check."
"Are you really going to do this?"
Lin Yi looked at those energy cannons.
"Fire."
Fury pressed the button.
The muzzles of the energy cannons lit up with dazzling blue light.
Dozens of energy beams shot out simultaneously, blasting toward Lin Yi in the center of the test chamber.
The light burst open.
The entire test chamber was submerged in a dazzling blue-white light.
The aftershock of the explosion made the bulletproof glass hum and vibrate.
Everyone in the observation room stared at that patch of light.
Barton clenched his fists.
Banner pushed up his glasses and narrowed his eyes.
Steve's hand rested on his shield.
The light gradually dissipated.
The smoke and dust slowly cleared.
Lin Yi stood in place.
His upper garment was shattered into pieces, revealing a lean and muscular physique.
He yawned and raised his hand to cover his mouth.
The observation room fell into collective silence.
Banner stared at the energy readings on the display screen.
"The energy he just endured was enough to evaporate a three-story building."
His voice sounded a bit airy.
"And it was a simultaneous bombardment from more than a dozen cannons."
Steve looked at Lin Yi in the test chamber, unable to speak.
Barton leaned against the wall.
"Fine, I take back all my doubts."
Tony smiled.
"I said before, he is more reliable than you think."
Thor patted Tony on the shoulder.
"The sorcerer of Midgard is indeed worthy of his reputation."
Natasha stared at Lin Yi, the corners of her mouth curving up.
"This guy is truly a monster."
Fury turned off the energy cannons and pressed the hatch switch.
The door of the test chamber opened, and Lin Yi walked out.
"Is that enough?"
Barton walked over and extended his hand.
"Enough, I owe you an apology."
Lin Yi shook hands with him.
"It's fine."
"Caution is a good thing."
Steve also walked over.
"We will trust you."
"But on the battlefield, we still hope you communicate more."
Lin Yi nodded.
"Sure."
Fury turned off the console.
"Since everyone has no objections, let's return to the conference room to continue discussing the battle plan."
Everyone turned and walked outside.
Tony walked beside Lin Yi.
"You yawning just now was intentional, right?"
Lin Yi smiled.
"A little bit."
"I'm impressed by your ability to flex."
As soon as Tony's voice fell,
a harsh alarm suddenly shattered the silence of the Helicarrier.
The red warning lights at the top of the corridor began to spin frantically.
Hill's urgent voice came from the loudspeaker on the wall.
"Director, there is an emergency at the deep space monitoring center."
Fury stopped in his tracks.
He pressed the communication terminal on his collar.
"Report the situation."
"The energy readings of the Tesseract have broken through the critical value."
"The monitor at the top of Stark Tower captured Loki."
The relaxed expression on Tony's face instantly vanished.
He strode past Fury toward the elevator.
"That guy is actually using my building to cause trouble."
Fury followed closely behind.
"Everyone to the bridge."
They hurried through the long corridor.
The huge holographic screen on the bridge had already lit up.
The screen was split into more than a dozen perspectives.
All pointed at the sky of Manhattan, New York.
On the rooftop helipad of Stark Tower,
a strangely shaped machine was running.
The blue light pulsed like a heartbeat.
Every flicker was accompanied by a violent expansion of energy.
Loki stood beside the machine, wearing Asgard's golden armor.
He held the scepter embedded with the yellow gemstone with both hands.
The tip of the scepter pointed directly at the Tesseract.
The surface of the Tesseract erupted with a dazzling blue-white glare.
The beam of light pierced through the gloomy clouds of Manhattan.
A dull roaring sound was transmitted to the Helicarrier via audio.
The sky seemed to be cut open by an invisible giant scalpel.
A pitch-black spatial rift appeared above the clouds.
Twisted starlight flickered deep within the rift.
This scene exceeded everyone's cognition.
The next second,
densely packed black dots poured out from the rift.
The Chitauri army drove their aircraft crashing into Earth's atmosphere.
Their appearance resembled a mechanized insect.
The tail flames of the aircraft carved countless blue trajectories across the sky.
The sharp sound of breaking through the air covered the entire city.
The streets of New York instantly fell into chaos.
Vehicles at the intersection collided with each other to avoid debris falling from the sky.
Flames burst out from under the hoods.
The crowd panicked and dropped their briefcases and coffee cups.
Screaming, they swarmed toward the subway stations and underground shopping malls.
Chitauri soldiers raised their energy guns and began strafing.
Blue high-energy beams exploded against the glass curtain walls of office buildings.
Tons of broken glass mixed with steel and concrete fell from the sky.
Smashing around the fleeing pedestrians.
Fury pressed his hands on the console.
He watched the escalating casualty numbers on the screen.
"Everyone."
He turned around and looked at the few people behind him.
"Time's up."
"Avengers, move out."
Tony pressed the smart bracelet on his wrist.
"Jarvis, prepare Mark VII."
He turned and ran toward the deck.
Steve hung the Vibranium shield on his back.
"Barton, Natasha, head to the helipad."
Barton checked the quiver behind his back.
Natasha cocked the pistol in her thigh holster.
The three of them hurried toward the hangar.
Banner stood in place, watching the alien monsters on the screen.
He took off his glasses and stuffed them into his pocket.
"Looks like I'll have to hitch a ride too."
He took slow steps to keep up with Steve.
Thor gripped Mjolnir tightly in his hand.
"I will bring Loki back to Asgard to stand trial."
He walked toward the edge of the deck, twisting the hammer's handle forcefully with his wrist.
Mjolnir whipped up a gust of wind, pulling him rushing toward the clouds.
The rear cabin door of the Quinjet slowly lowered.
Steve was the first to step onto the deck.
Natasha sat in the pilot's seat and pulled up the control lever.
The fighter's engine spewed scorching tail flames.
This heavy transport slid off the carrier deck and rose into the high altitude.
On the edge of the other side of the deck,
Tony stood in the wind with his arms open.
A red and gold coated metal pod flew in from the direction of Stark Tower.
It disintegrated in mid-air into dozens of components.
These components precisely wrapped around Tony's body.
The mask closed.
The white light in the eyes lit up.
Iron Man turned into a meteor, chasing toward the New York battlefield.
Fury looked at the empty bridge.
He turned his head to look at Lin Yi standing at the door.
"Aren't you going to move out with them?"
Lin Yi put his hands in his pockets.
"Flying in a plane is too slow."
He raised his right hand.
His index and pinky fingers came together to draw a circle in the air.
Golden sparks fluttered along his fingertips.
A spinning spatial portal quickly formed.
Opposite the door was the rooftop of 177A Bleecker Street.
This was the highest point of the New York Sanctum Sanctorum.
Chapter 69: Lin Yi's Battlefield Positioning
Lin Yi took a step and crossed over.
Golden sparks closed and vanished behind him.
Fury stared at the spot where Lin Yi had left.
He turned and looked at the big screen.
Lin Yi was standing on the rooftop of the Sanctum Sanctorum.
The howling wind blew his hair into a mess.
The air was filled with the smell of ozone and gunpowder smoke.
The rift in the sky looked like a giant single eye.
Chitauri army's flying crafts flew out endlessly.
The sounds of explosions and screams mixed together.
The firelight from the ground dyed the clouds orange-red.
A dull sound of a door opening came from downstairs.
Sophia ran up to the rooftop wearing grey mage robes.
She was tightly gripping a short staff in her hand.
"Master Lin Yi, you're here."
Lin Yi's gaze fell upon that spatial rift.
"Just guard the Sanctum Sanctorum here."
Sophia walked up to his side, tilting her head back to look at the tragic scene in the sky.
"Should we activate the defensive array?"
"No need." Lin Yi patted the brick wall of the rooftop, "The array can't stop the aliens' artillery fire; save some magic."
A low roaring sound appeared in the sky.
A huge mechanical Leviathan drilled out of the spatial rift.
It looked like an armored whale swimming in a sea of clouds.
Its massive body directly crushed across a towering office building.
Half of the building body was smashed into pieces.
The monster's body was covered in Chitauri soldiers.
They roared and leaped toward the surrounding buildings.
Sophia's hand holding the staff shook slightly.
"What on earth is this thing."
Lin Yi looked at that mechanical behemoth, feeling his blood throbbing with excitement.
"These are all experience packs."
Sophia didn't understand this sentence.
She took half a step back.
Lin Yi pulled a black communicator out of his pocket.
He pressed the button on the side.
Messy static came through the channel.
After the static sounded for a few seconds, it connected to the main channel.
Lin Yi hung the communicator on his ear.
"Fury, can you hear me?"
Fury's steady voice came through the earpiece.
"Received, have you reached your position?"
Lin Yi looked at the locust-like enemy troops in the sky.
"I have a tactical suggestion."
Fury straightened his body in front of the mothership's control console.
"Speak."
Lin Yi pointed at the rift in the sky.
"Your people go clear out the bugs that have already entered the ground."
"Leave that big hole in the sky to me."
A brief silence appeared in the earpiece.
Steve's voice cut in.
"Lin Yi, the pressure on the ground is heavy."
"We need to concentrate our firepower to solve the source in the sky, can you manage alone?"
Lin Yi watched a Chitauri flying craft fly overhead.
"Your weapons can't reach that altitude anyway."
"Besides, you can't deal with the power of the Tesseract."
Tony's voice rang out with severe wind noise.
"I agree with Lin Yi's plan."
"There are too many of these alien flies, I need support."
"Just leave that hole in the sky to the professionals who do magic."
Fury looked at the battle damage assessment on the screen.
"Lin Yi, are you confident you can close that rift?"
"Not sure, let's give it a try."
Lin Yi loosened his wrists.
"But I can make the entrance they use a little smaller."
Fury made a prompt decision.
"Do as you say."
"All Avengers, pay attention, concentrate your strength to clear the ground and low-altitude targets."
Lin Yi cut off the communication channel.
He casually threw the communicator on the edge of the rooftop.
Sophia looked at him nervously.
"You want to deal with that rift alone?"
Lin Yi did not answer.
He walked to the exact center of the rooftop.
He raised both hands.
His ten fingers fluttered rapidly, forming an ancient seal.
The dark energy within his body and his Ancient Magic Affinity were mobilized simultaneously.
A dark red light flashed across his eyes.
A golden magic array spread out on the bricks beneath his feet.
Layer upon layer expanded outward.
The patterns of the array were extremely complex.
It began to spread into the sky like a giant spiderweb.
Along with the continuous output of Lin Yi's mental power.
This giant golden magic web swelled violently against the wind.
Its area covered the entire block.
It shrouded directly toward that pitch-black spatial rift.
The Chitauri Commander in the sky discovered this glowing thing.
More than a dozen flying crafts turned their directions and dived down.
The energy guns in their hands aimed at Lin Yi on the roof.
Lin Yi didn't even look at these underlings.
Several golden light whips separated from the edge of the array.
The light whips slashed sharp sonic booms in the air.
They accurately whipped those flying crafts.
The metal shells were directly smashed apart.
The alien soldiers inside smashed toward the ground along with the wreckage.
The giant golden magic web finally stuck to the edge of the spatial rift.
The power of the Tesseract immediately felt the provocation.
Blue light flickered violently at the edge of the rift.
Spatial rules began to produce a terrifying tearing effect.
The blue energy wave and golden magic sparks collided together.
A loud sound similar to shattering glass burst out in the air.
A massive spatial backlash force was transmitted down along the magic web.
This power ignored physical distance.
It smashed heavily onto Lin Yi's body.
Lin Yi's body slid backward by half a meter.
His military boots plowed two white marks on the rooftop ground.
He only felt that the surrounding air had turned into a meat grinder.
A tooth-aching friction sound came from deep within his bones.
The system's cold white text prompts crazily flooded his retina.
[You suffered tearing damage from higher-dimensional spatial rules, Spatial Law Affinity +500]
[You suffered erosion from Infinity Stones energy, Spatial Law Affinity +1000]
Lin Yi closed his eyes.
This feeling of being washed by high-purity energy was simply awesome.
He grinned and laughed.
The spatial rift was briefly caught by the golden net.
The speed at which hundreds of enemies could pour out in a second was greatly restricted.
Now only a dozen flying crafts could be squeezed out each time.
But this enraged the Tesseract.
The blue column of light became thicker.
The Tesseract was crazily extracting spatial energy to counter this layer of magic seal.
The power within Lin Yi's body was also pouring out endlessly.
He did not choose to close the magic web.
He just wanted to use this net to guide the damage of the Tesseract.
For him, this was simply a buffet.
Sophia stood at the top of the stairs, looking at Lin Yi's back.
She could feel that destructive energy fluctuation.
Even a trace of leaked power could grind her into minced meat.
Yet Lin Yi stood in the center of the storm and laughed.
The golden magic array light illuminated him like a God of War.
On the command deck of the mothership.
Hill looked at the energy reading report on the screen.
"Director, the expansion speed of the spatial rift has been contained."
"The influx frequency of the alien army has dropped by eighty percent."
Fury looked at that huge golden light net on the screen.
"This mage really has some skills."
He picked up the communicator.
"Ground troops, the rift has been controlled."
"Take this opportunity to clean up the trash on the ground."
Chapter 70 The Avengers' Hard Battle
Nick Fury stared at the energy readings on the big screen.
Without turning his head, he issued instructions into the communicator.
"Ground troops, listen up."
"While the space portal is blocked, clear all the trash on the ground."
Central Avenue, Manhattan, New York.
A pungent smell of ozone drifted in the air.
Steve raised his Vibranium shield.
Three blue energy rays smashed against the edge of the shield.
Sparks flew in all directions.
This force was much heavier than conventional human artillery.
Steve felt a numb and aching sensation in his arm.
His combat boots slid half a meter across the ground.
Using the recoil, he turned around and threw his shield.
It sliced across the necks of three Chitauri soldiers.
The shield bounced off a car hood and back into his hand.
Heavy breathing came through the communicator.
"Captain, I can't hold on much longer over here."
Barton's voice rang out amidst the sound of artillery fire.
He crouched on the scaffolding on the exterior of the building.
He reached back with his backhand toward his quiver.
There were only three arrows left.
"Another fifty have poured in from the eastern intersection."
"These ugly monsters have skin that's way too thick."
"Even hitting them with high-explosive arrows only makes them back up a few steps."
Steve ducked behind an abandoned bus.
"Control the high ground, Barton."
"Pick off the leaders."
"Stark, you need to provide air support."
The whistling sound of airflow came from mid-air.
Tony, wearing his red and gold armor, swept past the gaps between the buildings.
Several micro-missiles popped out from his shoulders.
Blowing up a group of alien soldiers climbing the building.
"I'm trying, Captain."
"But these guys are like cockroaches; you can't kill them all."
Red light flickered constantly on the internal screen of the armor.
Jarvis's mechanical voice echoed in his ear.
"Sir, the armor's energy remaining is forty percent."
"The left propulsion system is damaged."
"It is recommended to avoid high-intensity dogfighting."
Tony completed a sharp turn in mid-air.
Dodging two chasing laser beams.
"Redirect the energy to the weapon systems."
"I'm about to be shot into a sieve."
Tony cursed in the communication channel.
"These aliens started tearing down buildings without even a pre-battle declaration."
"Who did Stark Tower offend?"
Natasha rolled out from behind a pile of rubble.
The shock baton in her hand slammed into the joints of a Chitauri soldier.
Followed by a knee strike to the opponent's chin.
"Now is not the time to feel sorry for the building."
Natasha picked up the alien energy rifle.
With a backhand pull of the trigger, she took down two rushing enemies.
She leaned against the wall, panting heavily.
"The recoil of this gun is too big."
"My shoulder is about to fall apart."
"Where did Thor go?"
A loud thunderclap sounded in the distance.
Thor waved his hammer and landed on top of an armored vehicle.
Blinding lightning split forward along the street.
Directly scorching more than a dozen flying craft into scrap iron.
He waved his fists excitedly.
"Is this what you call a hard battle?"
"Come on, bring on more!"
Steve rushed out of cover and ran to his side.
"Thor, don't just focus on smashing things."
"Go clear out the civilian area on the left street."
"There are still people there who haven't evacuated."
Thor shook off the charred material on his hammer.
"Leave it to me, Captain."
"But I alone have no way to cover such a large area."
"Where is the big guy?"
A deafening roar came from the end of the street.
Hulk grabbed the tail fin of a flying craft and smashed it around everywhere.
Completely tearing down the exterior walls of the two surrounding buildings.
Stones fell down like rain.
Tony looked at the tragic scene below and sighed.
"He really is a good helper."
"Provided he doesn't tear down his own people along with it."
"Captain, the current tactics are problematic."
Tony hovered in mid-air.
"The enemies on the ground are getting more and more as we fight."
"If that faucet in the sky isn't turned off, we'll all die of exhaustion here today."
Steve batted an enemy away with his shield.
"What is that wizard up to on the roof?"
"That golden net is already spread open."
"Why hasn't the crack closed yet?"
Fury's voice broke into the communication channel.
"Hold on, Avengers."
"The monitoring center shows that spatial energy is clashing."
"Lin Yi needs time."
Barton fired the last explosive arrow.
"He'd better hurry."
"I'm planning to use stones to smash people."
Natasha threw away the emptied energy gun.
She drew the pistol from her waist and fired several shots in a row.
The bullets hit the Chitauri armor, leaving only a few white spots.
"Ordinary firearms are completely useless."
"Stark, share some weapons with me."
Tony swooped down.
Landing beside Natasha.
His gauntlets popped open and threw out two high-energy bombs.
"Only these are left, use them sparingly."
"Don't throw them toward my company."
A Chitauri soldier raised a polearm and stabbed at Tony's back.
Natasha reacted quickly.
She shoved the bomb into the guy's armor gap.
Pulling Tony to tumble aside.
The blast wave flipped over everything within three meters around them.
Tony patted the dust off his armor.
"Smooth moves."
Natasha stood up and patted her pants.
"Thanks, you owe me a life."
Steve ran over to join the defense line.
"Stark, you need to rest."
"The thruster sounds like a broken bellows."
Tony's mask opened, revealing sweat.
"A genius never needs rest."
"I'm just calculating how to clean up the alien trash more efficiently."
He looked up at the giant golden net in the sky.
The giant net and the blue spatial crack were pulling at each other.
The blinding light made it impossible to look directly.
"Is that kid's magic actually going to work?"
"I think that net is about to snap."
Fury replied in the communication channel.
"Trust him, Stark."
"This is our only hope for now."
Barton slid down from upstairs.
He drew his short blade to finish off a straggling enemy.
"Director, what if that net breaks?"
"Is there a backup plan?"
Fury looked at the data on the bridge.
"There is no backup plan."
"If he messes up, you'd better prepare for hand-to-hand combat to the death."
Hulk's roar came again.
This time he lifted a semi-truck.
Smashing it toward the formation of flying craft in mid-air.
Thor was driven back two steps by the wind whipped up by the truck.
"An incredible warrior."
"It's just that his temper is a bit too bad."
Steve held his shield in front of him.
"Regroup."
"Advance toward Central Avenue."
"Lure the enemies over and buy time for civilians to evacuate."
Tony closed his mask again.
The repulsors lit up with white light.
"Understood, Captain."
"I'll handle air guidance."
"Natasha, Barton, follow behind the Captain."
"Thor, go clear the field."
The Avengers threw themselves back into battle.
The number of the Chitauri army did not decrease at all.
The entire Manhattan turned into a meat grinder.
The destructive power of the alien weapons far exceeded human imagination.
Building after building collapsed in the laser beams.